In order to prevent copyright infringement of software applications, manufacturers often employ authentication techniques to verify that a computer application is properly licensed.
For example, one commonly used technique relies on the use of a product key. A product key often consists of a series of alphanumeric characters which are manually entered by the user during or after the installation of the computer software application. The product key is often passed to an authentication function in the application to verify the authenticity of the product key.
Product keys may be inconvenient for users since they require the user to manually enter the product key when the program is installed or first run. Furthermore, the user may incorrectly enter the product key due to an error such as a typographical error, causing the application to be unable to run.
Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features.